Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Action from Saturday’s doubleheader at McKinleyville.

An exciting finish to game two of Saturday’s Big 5 softball doubleheader at McKinleyville saw the home team earn a split against Del Norte with an 8-7 win.

Earlier in the day, the Warriors won the opening game 11-0 in five innings.

Game two was tied 5-5 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Panthers would score three runs to take a late lead.

The visitors responded with two runs in the top of the seventh and had the tying run at second base with just one out before running out of steam.

With the split, the Panthers are now 5-4 in the Big 5, while the Warriors are 4-2 and tied with Fortuna for the conference lead.

The Huskies swept a doubleheader against Arcata on Saturday, winning 13-3 and 16-1 and improved to 6-3 in the Big 5.

In other local softball on Saturday, the Eureka Loggers lost a pair of non-league games at Ukiah, falling 1-0 and 8-3.

We’ll have more on those games early next week.

The top of the order had a big day for Del Norte, with Reece White, Carlee Harper and McKenna Curtis combining for 16 of their team’s 22 hits on the day.

“Our top three hitters really got the job done,” Del Norte head coach Aaron Healy said. 

“Overall, I thought game one went well obviously, and we got the job done quickly and played well, but in the second game I thought defensively we let ourselves down.”

In game one, White went 4-for-4, while Curtis was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and Harper was 1-for-2.

Shay Nolan was outstanding in the pitcher’s circle and threw a one-hitter for the win, while not allowing any walks.

Taylor Wade got McKinleyville’s only hit of the game.

Game two was back and forth.

The Warriors opened up a two-run lead in the top of the first, but the home team would respond with three runs in the bottom of the third to take a one-run lead.

The Warriors re-took the lead with two more runs in the top of the fourth, before the home team scored twice in the fourth to lead 5-4.

The Warriors responded again to tie the game in the fifth to set up the exciting finish.

Liana Stumpf led the Panthers at the plate and went 3-for-4 with a triple and a double, while Bailee Box, Hannah McCullough and Baylie Grooms each had two hits, including a double each.

Mashell Stumpf pitched three innings in relief for the win in the circle and also had a home run.

White stayed hot at the plate for the visitors in game two and was 3-for-4, giving her seven hits on the day.